N. Karthika

Hi friends,
I am N. Karthika, a lucky child and the only daughter to my dedicated parents, Mr. A. Natarajan and Mrs. Thirapurasundari Natarajan. I have a strong reason to introduce myself as lucky because it was because by my parents efforts and the support of the faculty in my first school, The Spastics Society of Tamil Nadu, that I could prove that we are not people who are cursed, but we can also lead a normal life like others. It was because of them that I am in the form today, with a lot of self confidence and a tenth standard qualification in my hands.
Yes, I am a child with Ataxic Cerebral palsy. When I was just nine months old, my parents found that I am ataxic, but they didn’t give up and struggled hard to bring me up in the best way. They then discovered the dreamland, The Spastics Society of Tamil Nadu through Mr. Kumaresan, the famous Neurologist. SPASTN was the guiding star in my life. I am grateful to the Director, the Physiotherapists and the faculty of SPASTN.
I was trained there from 1988 to 2001. They molded me in a way that I could survive as a normal child. My parents then got me admitted in Santhome Higher Secondary School, where I proved myself with the help of my kind teachers and scored 72.2% marks in my Tenth examinations.
Now I have joined Manuel Mony Matriculation Higher secondary school, Palavakkam for my higher education. I have high aims to study more, get a good job and support my loving parents. To achieve all this I am sure the members of SPASTN will continue to give me guidance and support. They have proved through me that cerebral palsy children can survive as normal children.

Sundari

“TEAMWORK MAKES THE DREAM WORK” – Sundari
It was a sensational moment when my friends wheeled my wheelchair to the podium facing the huge hall to receive the award. I’m a 21 year old, young girl with Cerebral Palsy. My hands were actually shaking when I lifted them to get the beautiful crystal on behalf on my team and I was silently praying that I shouldn’t drop it down. We won the Runner-Up Cup – just one less than making it to Canada for the World Cup Title in Toronto.
As I look back I wonder how did all this happen.
Initial Preparations:
It was on April 1st when I heard about the competition for the first time and it all seemed too good to be true that I restrained from getting excited for another prank of the Fool’s Day. But soon I realized that it was not a joke but far from that. It was a project presentation competition conducted by SIFE [Students in Free Enterprise], a worldwide organization working for the involvement of youth in community development by instilling the principles of Free Enterprise among laymen. The National level rounds were held in Mumbai on 20th and 21st of June and the final winners will be presenting in Toronto, Canada, after two months. We were a five member team from my college with our faculty advisor to guide us.
My first question had been a puzzled ‘why am I being selected when there are more brilliant and capable students who are certainly better than me?’ I realized that this is another of God’s secret plans for me and started working on the project seriously. I am certainly not boasting but we all worked so hard day and night that we didn’t have any vacation this summer. My family were on the run dropping me here and there, helping me with new ideas and boosting me whenever I felt helpless and diffident. But we all brushed aside the pain and strain with a smile when we could see the project taking shape beautifully. Though it was not the work of a genius it certainly met the judgement criteria effectively.
The Practical Difficulties:
On 18th June we left for Mumbai in Dadar Express early in the morning. My mother accompanied me to help me physically. Of course my walker and my wheel chair were part of the journey. The journey was a peaceful, fun filled and exciting one. When we alighted the train, our sponsors, Syntel Inc. were awaiting our arrival. I braved myself for the long wheelchair ride across the platforms and to the bus, which was parked two blocks away. That was my first day out on the streets on the wheelchair amidst other vehicles and the already rugged roads were full of mud and potholes due to the heavy rains. But the biggest challenge came when I had to climb the huge company bus. Bus rides are scary with my condition and I don’t even remember the last time when I traveled in a bus. My mom and I decided to take a cab [not wanting to trouble my friends] but they were so insistent that I surrendered to this ‘horrible’ idea. Himalayan trekking wouldn’t have been worse than this. After many pushes, pulls and shoves! was finally hoisted up on the bus. When I say my mom panting and the girls wiping away their sweat proudly, I couldn’t control my tears. What a team. Thank God, their determination to have me in the team was stronger than my physical condition.
We did it as a team.
We had a pleasant stay at a neat and comfortable apartment. The opening rounds were on the 20th and we were well prepared by then. But our hearts missed a beat when we came to know that one of our competitors would be the indomitable IIM [Ahmedabad]. I don’t know what came over me but I was absolutely fearless. I have put myself in God’s hands who has brought me safely to this stage. It was this faith, I firmly believe, that gave me the strength to perform well on the stage, that made our entire team to beat our mighty competitors and get qualified for the prestigious Final Round wherein only five teams [out of twenty one] will compete for the National Championship Title!
On the final day, we were the kids in the hall compared to other business and management students. But we had left everything at God’s will who again willed us to give a great presentation and to bag the Runner-Up Cup. Everybody expected us to win and we were slightly upset about losing the opportunity to compete for the World Cup Title in Toronto. But I am sure that God has planned this to give me time to equip myself better and to prepare my family for this trip across the world without them.
My family and my friends are my success.
Words cannot express my feelings towards my friends who were the main reason for making these four days successful for me, for making those bus and train journeys exciting and happy ones rather than tedious and difficult.
I also had the novel experience of shopping on the streets on the wheelchair in the drizzling rain. Though the ride was rugged and rough, it was on the whole a smooth and pleasant experience, the memories of which I would cherish throughout my life. I pray from my heart that every child should be blessed with a family and friends like mine, so as to make anything possible under the sky.
K. Sundari,
B.Com III Year, M.O.P. Vaishnav College
Chennai, Tamil Nadu

Vijayalakshmi

Hi,
I am Vijayalakshmi, and I would like to narrate how I discovered my hidden capabilities at SPASTN. Having been born as a cerebral palsy with double hemiplegia, I managed to complete my Postgraduation in Economics in Tirunelveli before entering SPASTN, with the strength and support from my parents. Though unable to use my limbs normally, God had gifted me with friends and well wishers everywhere who were indeed my upper and lower limbs. When I came to Chennai, though educated I was not sure of what I was capable of doing. Through a relative I was guided to SPASTN to seek assistance. The then Director and staff were appreciative of my struggle in earning a postgraduate degree. They initially posted me as a volunteer in the NIOS class for 2 months. Later I took the advice of a colleague in SPASTN and joined the Diploma course in Special education in 2001. The course was an eye-opener in the field of disability and I completed the course with the help of my friends again. On completion of the course the current Director Mrs. Annie Shyam suggested that I take over in-charge of the library at SPASTN. Though completely unaware of my new job requirements, I am grateful to the Director for having faith in me and giving me responsibility. This was the first step I took as an independent individual capable of generating income in the society. My new job motivated me to perform better and was a good boost to my self confidence. Today I have realized that the job of a librarian is most suited to me keeping in mind my disability. I have developed great interest and love for the job. Thanks to SPASTN. God who has been very kind in helping me identify the right job also opened the doors of marriage. I am now married to a kind hearted person who whole heartedly accepted me undeterred by my disability. The ever ending guidance of the Director also helped me to enroll for the Bachelor in Library Science course (BLIS), a one year programme in the University of Madras. This course will make me a full fledged Librarian. It is therefore not an exaggeration if I say that SPASTN helped me find hope, helped me find a living.
Vijayalakshmi,
Librarian,
SPASTN

Payal Patel

I am Payal Patel, and I would like to share the experiences in my journey as a person with cerebral palsy. My journey started when I was 11/2 years old being diagnosed by my doctor as a child with cerebral palsy. Taking the advice given by our family friend, my parents brought me to The Spastics Society of Tamil Nadu at Ayanavarm in 1983. I underwent three years of intensive physiotherapy. By this time the staff there, discovered that I had the potential to be included in a regular school. I therefore joined Chinmaya Vidyalaya CBSE school and studied there up to my IXth std. After that I completed my Xth & XIIth classes through the NIOS in SPASTN, Taramani. The experience and encouragement in SPASTN urged me to seek a degree course. With the support of my parents I joined JBAS college, Chennai and completed BA Sociology. The problems that I faced while pursuing the undergraduate degree motivated me to help children with disability. This led me to join the course in Diploma in Special Education for persons with disability at SPASTN. On completion of the course I would love to work as a Special educator given the right opportunity. Throughout this journey I had full support from my family and the staff of SPASTN and I owe my gratitude to them.
Payal, DSE student
SPASTN